10 Signs of Being in Love by Nami Amou
by kurokochii
Summary: Nami Amou has released the February issue of the school paper & guess what it's about—love, of course! But it's still incomplete. What Amou is keen on getting are the love interests of the concours participants especially Hino Kahoko but she's not the only one anxious to know about it. The other participants read the article about love and well, let's just say Cupid is on his way.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own La Corda d' Oro.  
**A/N: **First things first, I just watched this anime recently and I fell in love with it so I decided to write a story about it. So forgive me if I had some uh errors regarding the story. He he, so leave a review?  
I actually didn't write this for Valentine's but since it was just yesterday…(Belated) Happy Valentine's, everyone!  
**Summary:** Nami Amou has just released the February issue of the school paper and guess what it's about—love, of course! But it's still incomplete. What Amou is keen on getting are the love interests of the concours participants especially Hino Kahoko but Amou's not the only one anxious to know about it. The other five participants read the article about love and well, let's just say Cupid is on his way.

~.~

**10 Signs of Being in Love**

~.~

**One: Faith**

"Tsukimori-kun!" Amou called, holding her notepad and pencil as she ran down the hallway, chasing after an elusive violinist namely Len Tsukimori. Len sprints, holding tightly to his violin case, and runs inside a practice room where hopefully, he could practice in peace and get away from the persistent Nami Amou.

He rests his head against the cold wall of the room and closes his eyes as he steadied his breathing.

"Tsukimori-kun?" a voice calls out. His eyes burst open and see Hino Kahoko seated by the piano.

"Hino?" he mumbles in recognition. He puts a finger to his lips, indicating for her to keep quiet. She seems to understand. Then he hears footsteps outside and his eyes immediately dart towards the small window on the door. He peers outside, looking for any sign of Amou-san.

"Tsukimori-kun!" he hears her call. He continues to observe her. "Ugh, where did he go now?" she growled in frustration as she scratched her brunette head. She stops in front of the room Len has taken refuge and he mentally prays. _Please don't go in. Please don't go in. Please don't go in._

And she doesn't.

Len lets out a relieved sigh as he sees her figure pass by. He's safe. For now.

"Um," Hino starts, still unsure if she could talk already.

"Sorry, were you still practicing?" Len asks her in his usual clipped tone.

"No, I'm actually done. I was just reading this—"

"Then can I use this room now?" he cuts her off and one could look at Hino and tell that she was offended. Well, anyone would be anyway.

But instead of snapping at him, she says, "Sure. Practice well." Like she was already accustomed to this attitude. She then grabs her things and walks away.

After she has left the room, Len places his case atop the table. He opens the case and lifts his instrument out of it. He looks at it for a while. He touches the smooth texture of the violin, tracing the black intricate designs on it then touching its curved sides. When was the last time he had truly appreciated this object? When was it that he, even after playing it for so many years, had truly enjoyed playing it?

Right, when Hino Kahoko happened.

Had he not met that red-headed, persevering girl, he might not have learned to love his own instrument. Had he not heard the way she played the violin, he might not have appreciated the beauty of music. Had he not let her in, he might not be the person that he is right now.

All these changes just because of Hino Kahoko.

Wait, why was he thinking about her right now?

Len pulled away from his thoughts, placed the end of the violin under his chin and began to play. He let his mind drift off anywhere and his eyes were closed, absorbing the peacefulness that only music could give.

After a few minutes of playing, he sighs and lowers the violin. He seems restless. He moves towards his things and brings out some music sheets which he first places on top of the piano. He decides to sort through them and find a good piece to practice with but something else catches his eye.

It was the school paper. The Seiso Academy logo, which was a golden lyre and a g-clef drawn across its four strings, a star shone at the top of the lyre and placed just below the g-clef is a banner with the name of the school in capitalized gold letters, is printed at the topmost part of the front page.

Len reaches over and looks at the picture on the page. It was a photo of the concours participants, him included, taken after the second selection. In the middle, smiling as beautiful and as brightly as ever in her pink dress was Hino Kahoko. Len stared at it for a little longer.

He remembered the second selection like it only happened yesterday.

That time, his parents had come to see his performance. He had been on edge the entire week so he spent almost every second of his time for practice to get his mind off things. Because honestly speaking, he was worried. Worried that he might flunk his performance, worried that his parents might get disappointed, but most of all, he was worried that he _still _might not be good enough.

All those years, he wanted to create a name for himself. That's the reason why he practiced and practiced and practiced. Still, people would be clapping him on the back and telling him that it was because of his parents. _No_, he would always tell himself. _I have to practice more. I have to be better_.

But every time he reaches a feat, someone would mention his parents and all his efforts go down the drain. Why can't people appreciate his _own_ efforts? Why can't they see that it was _him_ all along, not his mother, not his father, not _anyone_. Just him.

So he was losing his trust in himself, losing his trust in the violin. But after what Hino Kahoko told him that time…

He remembered her words so clearly, it felt like she was really there, saying those words to him again.

"_There's no way you could make it anyway. Having your rivals decrease by one is something you were wishing for, right?"_

"_Hold on, what are you saying? Is that the way you've been thinking of us?!"_

"_What's wrong with it?"_

"_It's not good!"_

"_Going back there to play after this has no meaning."_

"'_No meaning,' you say…I was looking forward to your performance. Playing like that is enjoyable…I was always jealous of you! And yet…saying that your performance has no meaning…Don't ever talk like that!"_

Those words that Hino said to him had a magical effect. It was like something inside him was being moved and pulling him up, telling him to not give up. From her words, he had gotten courage.

She was the first person to ever tell him that his performance was worth hearing not because he had the means to be a better player, not because he had musicians as parents but because he just played like _that_. He played as he always did, played like _himself_.

She had faith in him and it was more than enough to boost his confidence and have faith in himself too. That little thing made him want to stop pleasing other people. He didn't care anymore. Her faith was enough. She believed in him even if no one would. She looked for him like no one else would do. And she saved him without her knowing it. He would never forget that.

And even though that girl was too dense for her own good, she still taught a lot of things to Len. Because of Hino, he had learned to love his own instrument like she had loved her own. Hino taught him how to enjoy playing the violin and it was obvious that she loved playing it herself. Her music was _honest_ or straightforward. It replicated _exactly_ how she felt which amazed Len more than he would ever admit.

He smiles briefly but catches himself before it could last for another second. He blinks twice as if awakening from a trance and realizes that he was still looking at the front page photo. He averts his eyes from the photograph, specifically from a smiling redhead.

He reads the headline: _Concours Participants' love interests revealed!_

Len's eyes widen. _What? _He asks himself. _When did she-? _

He flips the page and searches for that certain article. But he finds none of that. Instead he sees more articles about love, skin care, and other worthless stuff which girls would chitchat about. He reads a little then he tosses the paper across the room and it flies out the window.

Amou-san had probably just made that as a headline to get more readers.

He sighs in annoyance and resumes his practice.

Although one article was still stuck in his mind.

_**10 Signs of Being in Love **__  
by Nami Amou _

_When you can't take your eyes away from that person._

And it bothered him that just a few minutes ago, he was staring at _her _photo.

And he couldn't seem to look away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own La Corda d' Oro.  
**A/N: **Actually feeling guilty because I keep publishing new stories without updating the others. Anyway, leave a review?

~.~

**10 Signs of Being in Love**

~.~

**Two: Red**

"Umph," says a voice.

"Oh!" Hino exclaims after looking down. She had stepped—_again_—on Keiichi Shimizu, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed always sleepy bassist who had also participated in the concours and has a striking resemblance to Hino's magical fairy friend, Lili.

He seemed to be taking his afternoon nap outside the school building but of course, Hino Kahoko just had to step on him and take him away from dreamland.

"Shimizu? You're sleeping again?" Hino asks as she steps away from Shimizu. Shimizu sits up and rubs the sleep out of his eyes.

"Good morning, Hino-senpai," he replies slowly and yawns. Hino shakes her head hopelessly and smiles at his cuteness.

"Hm," Hino says as she stares at him apologetically, "I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Shimizu."

"You didn't, senpai," he responds, "I'm actually glad to see you." He smiles charmingly and the blush was evident on Hino's pale face. Either she was surprised because Shimizu rarely smiles or because he was startlingly beautiful when he did. Or maybe it's a little bit of both.

"Uh," was Hino's smart answer. "I—I gotta go. See you around, Shimizu!" She beamed and waved her hand, not waiting for a reply. Shimizu opens his mouth but Hino was gone.

"Senpai," he mutters and suddenly, something hits him on the back of his head. He groans as he turns and picks up what looked like a magazine lying on the grass. It looked like it came from one of the practice rooms but Shimizu was having one of his lazy days and didn't bother to check.

The bells ring. They ring more often lately, he noticed.

Shimizu decides to go home and practice his cello. He grabs the music sheets that littered the space near him and heads back towards the school building to fetch his things.

While he was heading back, he heard something that he'd been yearning to hear since forever.

Hino's violin.

You wouldn't understand how it feels until you hear Hino play her violin.

Shimizu stopped in his tracks. He closed his eyes and let Hino's music penetrate his mind and heart. He let himself be wrapped in her music and just relax in its serenity.

The sound of Hino's violin was magical. It's like the notes in the music sheets are brought to life and are dancing around you. Everyone is silent and listening. The trees and leaves seem to grow and dance harmoniously with the wind. Flowers bloom. Nature itself enjoys her playing. The way she plays is not just pure technique but there's something else, something more than any technique could ever teach you.

She _moves_ you.

She moves your heart, your soul, your entire being.

Her music is a reflection of her own heart. The way she feels, her mood, her confusion, everything is there and you could feel it. It's like her music gives her suppressed emotions a way to express themselves into beautifully played pieces.

And you can't help but listen and admire her.

And Shimizu knows that he's not the only one listening. From the other places in the school, he knows that the other concours participants are also listening to Hino Kahoko's violin.

Because she has moved all of them, the way she had moved him.

He wanted to hear more from Hino but the music stops and he knew that she might be heading home as well.

He resumes his walk towards the Music building to get his things. As he walked, he glanced at the magazine he had picked up earlier. He realizes that it wasn't a magazine but Seiso Academy's school paper.

On the front cover was a photo of the Concours participants after their second selection. Hino Kahoko is squeezed in the middle and smiling at the camera. Her bright smile brings Shimizu to smile himself. He turns to the second page which was about how to make someone fall in love with you. But Shimizu got uninterested and flips again and again and again.

He stops and reads something that caught his attention.

But because he wasn't looking where he was going, he bumps into someone.

"Shimizu?" said a familiar, high-pitched voice.

Shimizu was quick to respond, "Senpai." He lifts his eyes from the paper and looks at Hino who was holding her bag and violin case and something else that looked like a paper bag.

"What's that?" Shimizu asks, pointing at the paper bag.

"Oh, this?" Hino raises the bag. She looked embarrassed at first though Shimizu was oblivious to it. "It's for you, actually." She extends her hand to Shimizu and he takes it gratefully.

"Ah," he says as he peeks and grabs what's inside. He's surprised to see that it was a brown teddy bear holding a cello. He looks back at Kahoko with a wide smile, "Thank you so much."

"I saw that while I was heading home the other day. It kind of reminded me of you because you play the cello, right?" Hino asks and Shimizu nods. "Take it as a congratulatory gift from me. You did well during the concours, Shimizu." She pats his head and skips away after waving at him goodbye.

He touches the top of his head where Hino patted him and couldn't help but smile.

He went towards his classroom to pick up his stuff and realizes that he was in the wrong building. He must have taken the wrong route since he was in the General Education building which explained why he bumped into Hino earlier.

"Shimizu-san?" a male voice called out.

Shimizu turns and a familiar bronze-skinned guy appeared behind him. "Tsuchiura-senpai."

"What are you doing here?" he asks him but Shimizu gets distracted by the sunset behind Ryoutaro that he forgets to respond.

"Shimizu?" Ryoutaro tries again.

"Have you ever witnessed something so beautiful that it gets stuck in your head and whatever you do, it just won't get out?" He says finally. As he spoke, it was like he was in a trance or caught up in a memory. Ryoutaro looked confused but Shimizu doesn't seem to be waiting for a response. "Senpai, could you please return this to Hino-senpai? It seems like it's her copy. Her name's written at the very back."

"Oh?" Ryoutaro says, slightly bewildered, "Oh, sure. I'll give it to her tomorrow." He says as he takes the paper and rolls it to fit his palm.

Shimizu looks back at the glass window behind Ryoutaro and Ryoutaro does the same. They look at the horizon, bright red, orange, and yellow clashing to form a beautiful sunset. The lights were illuminating their faces.

They watch as the sun slowly disappears and the sky darkens. The bright red sky was slowly dissipating.

"Red is a strange color, don't you think, senpai?"

Ryoutaro had no answer or he was just too baffled to answer. Maybe he was worried for Shimizu's health condition, maybe not. Or maybe he was just too busy looking at the sky. The stars begin to appear.

He looks at Shimizu through the corner of his eyes. _Yes_, he answered in his head after a few moments. _It is strange. _

The hallways begin to darken and they knew they had to go. They said their goodbyes and separated ways.

Shimizu headed home with the teddy bear cello-player close to his heart. As he walked, he remembered a line from the article he had read earlier.

_**10 Signs of Being in Love  
**__by Nami Amou_

_2. When you can't stop thinking about that person._

And he smiles because when he closes his eyes, the sound of _her _music still resonates in his ears.

Although he couldn't exactly figure out why.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own La Corda d' Oro  
**A/N: **I've been writing for more than three hours straight. Ugh, this is why I don't write often. Once I do that, I can't stop. But if I do stop, it's hard to make myself write again. Anyway, I hope you'll like this chapter. Leave a review, please? Thanks!

~.~

**10 Signs of Being in Love**

~.~

**Three: Happiness**

Ryoutaro Tsuchiura placed the newspaper inside his bag and headed home.

He was walking, humming a tune as he did, when he spotted a familiar redhead enter a convenience store. He quickened his pace and entered the store as she did. He saw her order a hotdog sandwich and sit at the tables near the wall. He ordered a shake and approached her.

"Hungry, huh?" he started. Hino was obviously startled by his sudden appearance and Ryoutaro scolded himself for being such an obvious stalker. But Hino put on her bright smile and gestured for him to sit beside her which he accepted.

"Nothing would beat a hotdog sandwich after a tiring day," she said, taking a bite of her sandwich. Ryoutaro noticed that the catsup and mayonnaise aren't mixed together but rather, placed on the opposite ends of the paper plate.

"You know, catsup and mayonnaise are _supposed_ to be mixed together and eaten with your sandwich," Ryoutaro states out his observation with a chuckle. Hino looks down at her paper plate with a flushed face and looks back at Ryoutaro.

"Who said I couldn't take them separately?" Hino defends herself, catsup was on her face. Ryoutaro tried not to laugh.

"Why _do _you want to eat them separately?" Ryoutaro asks, still eyeing the catsup on Hino's face.

"That way, I could appreciate their individual tastes," Hino explains. Ryoutaro grabs a tissue paper and sticks it on Hino's face. He laughs.

"You have catsup on your face. Sorry, it's distracting," he says in between chuckles. Hino took the tissue from her face and started wiping. Fortunately, she wasn't mad but Hino Kahoko rarely gets mad to begin with. She was smiling, even.

"Sorry, I didn't know," Hino apologized.

"You have lots of things you don't know, Hino," Ryoutaro says, "and you would never know those things until you try them out."

"Huh?" Hino replies, completely lost. Her hotdog sandwich lay in its container, forgotten.

Ryoutaro stands up and gets his things.

"You're leaving?" Hino asks him. Ryoutaro smiles.

"I have to," he replies. He pats Hino's head, "try mixing the mayonnaise with catsup. You'd never know how great two different things would turn out once they join as one." He winked then he was gone.

~.~

The next day, Ryoutaro was playing soccer.

The national competition is near and the soccer team is on edge. Every day, they've been training and training and training. There's no end to it. They're all restless until they win.

"Pass!" one of the players shouts and kicks the soccer ball to Ryoutaro. He catches the ball with his right foot, sprints with it, and kicks it towards the goal. It goes in the net and they clap each other's backs for another job well done.

As they were doing so, Ryoutaro glances towards the school building and there, walking with her two best friends, was Hino Kahoko, carrying her bag and violin case. She might be practicing later. He makes a mental note to keep her company after dismissal. He smiles.

A ball hits him at the back of his head and he curses. He turns and sees the wide grin on his friend's face.

"Stop daydreaming about your girl, Tsuchiura. We're in the middle of the game!" he shouts. His friend has the guts, huh. He rolls his eyes at him and jogs towards the middle of the field.

And the game resumes.

But let us skip forward, shall we?

After soccer practice, the students of the general education department line up for an orientation about the new proposed curriculum.

Ryoutaro peers over his classmates and sees his target a few meters ahead. He grabs his bag, shoulders it and jogs toward her direction.

Hino Kahoko lines up with everyone else. Ryoutaro goes up to meet her. He whizzes past the mass of bodies all around him, ignoring the calls of his friends.

"Need a partner?" he says. Since they're all going to the Lecture Hall, no one really cares if you sit by class or not. Hino nods at him enthusiastically.

She sighs, "This is going to be boring."

"Hey, I thought you were the optimist?" he tells her, trying to cheer her up.

And the moment she grinned, he grins as well. It's that infectious.

The whole talk was as what Hino had predicted earlier: boring.

But not for Ryoutaro Tsuchiura.

They made sure they took a seat somewhere in the middle so as to become invisible in the mass of people around them. All the while, Hino's been playing with everything she could lay her hands on. She seemed uneasy and well, bored but if you'll look closely at how her fingers move, it's obvious that she's itching to play her violin again. He smiles at her eagerness.

And that's one thing he loved about her. Her love for her instrument is beyond comprehension.

Wait, did I just say love?

Moving on, Hino's been restless since the talk started and halfway through it, her eyes began to droop. It was adorable watching her head fall from side to side as she drifted off from consciousness to unconsciousness and back again. He can't help but smile.

Finally, Ryoutaro guided Hino's head and placed it on his shoulder so she wouldn't fall off her chair. Resting her head on his shoulder, Hino slept peacefully with a calm smile on her lips. Again, Hino Kahoko has touched Ryoutaro Tsuchiura's heart. And the surprising thing was he doesn't seem to mind at all.

As the talk progresses, Ryoutaro remembered why he brought his bag along. Shimizu handed him the school paper yesterday and asked him to return it to Hino. He wanted to give it to her today. He brought it out and looked at the front page.

He looked at the portrait of them after the second selections. It was the only picture Nami was able to take during the whole competition. Hino Kahoko looked beautiful in her dress. She was smiling at the camera and Ryoutaro smiled a little too. He flips the page again and again and again until an article catches his eye. He reads it then Hino starts to stir in her sleep and he stops when she wakes just as the lecture is put into a close.

He quickly folds the paper and places it in his bag, momentarily forgetting that he was supposed to give it to her. But something about returning it didn't sit well with him. Hino asks if something was wrong. He shakes his head and says it's nothing. He was feeling embarrassed a little and he's clueless as to why.

After the talk and the students have filed out of the hall and Hino has woken up and kept apologizing to Ryoutaro for "taking advantage" (as she called it) of the situation, the two of them went to the practice rooms together.

"So, what piece are you playing?" Ryoutaro asks Hino as he took the piano's seat.

"I don't know, actually. I haven't found a piece yet that I want to play," she replies, taking out her violin from her case.

"Then could you play me a request?" Ryoutaro continues, resting his chin on his arms atop the piano. "Could you play Ave Maria again?"

Hino smiles and nods. She puts the violin in place and the music starts.

Ryoutaro closes his eyes.

He's brought to another place. It's like a big garden with all sorts of plants and trees and shrubs growing. Flowers of different shapes and vibrant colors bloom and bring life to the place. At his left, a pavilion sits. It has a domed ceiling and in the center is a small fountain in the shape of a fairy holding a lyre. It's gold and seemed to glimmer.

He hears the violin again and focuses on it. He walks closer to the sound and there she finds Hino playing her violin, eyes closed, smiling as she played.

The image of her made him smile. He wanted to go closer but he was afraid that if he gets too close, Hino will vanish. The image of Hino projects certain delicateness, like she'd break the moment you touch her. And he didn't want that. Not ever.

Instead, he stopped and listened. He let himself be engulfed by Hino's music. Every note enters his heart and he feels each one of them touch even the deepest and darkest parts of himself; the parts even he couldn't bear to explore. He felt Hino's music heal those parts, feel her music make his heart whole again after so many years that it had stayed broken.

Only Hino Kahoko could do something like that.

Because Hino Kahoko's music is far different from any other. Hers might not be as good as the professionals but her music gives you more than just a good stage performance. It gives you hope, and love, and warmth inside. It makes you _feel_ something.

And it was something Ryoutaro Tsuchiura wouldn't miss for the world.

The music stopped and he opened his eyes. He was grinning.

"Why are you grinning at me like that?" Hino asks, her face confused. She lowers her violin.

"Nothing," Ryoutaro says, "have you ever thought about a smile limit?" He asks out of the blue which kind of surprised Hino.

"Smile limit?"

"Yeah," Ryoutaro continues, "the number of times a person can smile per day. Do you know it?"

"I haven't heard of that," Hino answers then plays with the cords of her violin, "but I think a person can smile as many times as he or she wants," she continues, "because I believe there are no limitations when it comes to happiness."

"Nicely said," Ryoutaro agrees, the grin still in place.

And he couldn't help but smile wider as he remembered the line he had read from an article earlier.

_**10 Signs of Being in Love  
**__by Nami Amou_

_3. When everything about that person makes you smile._

There are a lot of things that make Ryoutaro Tsuchiura smile and shockingly, all those things could be rolled into one person.

"You're creeping me out," Hino comments as she glances at Ryoutaro's face.

There are no limitations when it comes to happiness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I don't own La Corda d' Oro.  
**A/N: **Been writing for four hours straight so sorry for the errors! I still have classes *flips all the tables*  
Leave a review, yeah?

Oh and if you ever noticed the POV changing to first person, I'm so sorry. I might have overlooked that mistake. I was used to writing first person points of view that I tend to shift from one to the other. So sorry.

~.~

**10 Signs of Being in Love**

~.~

**Four: Fireworks**

"So we're here because…?" Ryoutaro Tsuchiura says as he glances around his fellow concours participants. "The competition's done, right? Why are we here again?"

They were inside the music lecture room. Everyone was seated on elevated armchairs, well everyone except for one person.

"Sorry, I'm late!" Kazuki Hihara, the junior who doesn't look or even _act _like one, bursts through the door and into the room. He stops in front of Kanazawa-sensei with an apologetic smile.

Kanazawa-sensei was not amused. He walks towards Tsuchiura's seat and grabs the paper on his desk, rolls it and starts hitting Hihara none too gently.

"I. Told. You. To. Come. On. Time," he says, hitting Hihara with the newspaper with every word.

Hihara keeps wincing and saying ouch but that didn't stop Kanazawa-sensei. He knew the kid had a head made of iron. Drop him head-first from a building ten floors high and that boy will still live.

"Kanadawa-sensei," Shimizu calls from the second row. "Why are we here?"

"It's _Kanazawa_, jeez," he replies, "why don't I let Ousaki-san take charge of explaining?"

"You're just too lazy to do the talking, aren't you, Kanazawa-sensei?" Hihara says playfully and he hits him again.

"Keep your mouth shut," Kanazawa puts the rolled up newspaper inside his mouth so Hihara looked like a golden retriever ready to hand you the early morning newspaper.

Hihara takes the paper from his mouth and unravels it.

"Hihara? Please take a seat," Ousaki says. Hihara obeys and takes a seat at the back.

"I have great news to share with you," Ousaki starts, "you have all been invited to a music festival tomorrow at 12 noon."

~.~

The sun was high up in the sky when they reached the venue.

Everyone filed out of the travelling van and marveled at the building. It was not an ordinary one. Its shape was that of a piano's so it looked like a giant piano about fifty floors high. The entire building was painted white and the entrance had glass doors that opened by themselves.

The group follows Ousaki-sensei and they enter the building. The walls were white as well but the floor was covered with a black carpet. Paintings and photographs of musicians, instruments, performances, and all the other stuff about music hang on the walls.

"Now, we'll have to go by the buddy system. I don't want any of you getting lost here," Kanazawa-sensei says as they pass a bright red door. "Except maybe Hihara."

"Hey!" Hihara begins to protest and everyone chuckles.

"But since I want to be fair," he holds up sticks for everyone to see, "each of you will get one. The sticks come in pairs. Whatever color you get, find the one that matches yours and that person shall accompany you for the rest of the day."

Everyone clusters around Kanazawa-sensei and gets their sticks.

Since Shoko Fuyuumi wasn't able to join the trip, there were only six contours participants present. Everyone was eager to know who his or her partner is.

"Now, get to your partners and make sure to _stay together_. We'll meet by the van at exactly 8pm. The rest of the day is yours now, away you go!"

Azuma Yunoki and Keiichi Shimizu both got the sticks with the orange paper at the end so they'll be each other's partner. Yunoki was smiling dazzlingly and Shimizu was as indifferent in his expression as ever but one can take one look at them and tell they were a little disappointed.

Hihara had a totally different fate. He looks at the end of the stick again, double-checking just to be sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Because across from him stands Hino Kahoko, holding the exact same stick with the exact same color at the end, looking for her partner.

He smiles and goes up to meet her. Inside, he was doing cartwheels and break-dancing and his heart won't shut up. This is a problem, he thought for a moment, it's going to be so obvious that he likes her.

But apparently, Hino's a dense girl.

He doesn't know when exactly was the time he noticed he had feelings for her. He would like to think that ever since he'd met her, it was there—the spark was there. He just didn't realize it. But when he actually did, he wished that he just didn't.

See, when you've been great friends with someone and you suddenly fall for him or her, it's going to be a rocky road ahead. Things might change; they _will _change. They are bound to do that sooner or later. But the hardest part of it is making a decision. He wanted to keep her as a friend. She was the greatest gal pal he has ever had the luck of meeting and it's going to be such a waste if he'd let her go. But if he would tell her how he truly felt about her, he knows the atmosphere around them is going to shift a bit. And he didn't want that to happen. He was happy with the way things are with them. It's much safer to pretend and leave the way things are. It's just, sometimes he wondered if he could get more.

And that same 'wanting more' concept was making him go loco. He wanted to keep their friendship but at the same time wanted something more than just being friends. It's crazy, he knows. But is it really a choice between one or the other? If he'd try tipping the scales a little, would balance be lost and everything they've built up until now crash down on them or would he have a chance? Would it be possible, he thought, to get one while keeping the other safe?

All this was in his mind as he approached Hino. She was smiling, vibrant as ever, and showing him her red stick. He had the same red stick in his hands. Red, he thought, the color's red. And he couldn't help feeling that it's going to be a great, sunny day.

"You're my partner?!" Hihara turns to look at the two boys who were yelling at each other.

"I didn't ask to be your partner, just so you know," Len replies to Ryoutaro who was displeased and clearly disappointed.

Ryoutaro once told Hihara that he and Hino are just friends. Because they were a guy and a girl, common misconceptions about them would involve love and dating but Ryoutaro told him personally that they were nothing like that. Just close friends. And to those words, Hihara holds. He just wishes Ryoutaro's still holding to them as well.

"Don't get lost," Ryoutaro replies then his eyes turn towards Hihara's direction. At first, Hihara thought he was looking at him then he realized he was standing in front of Hino and maybe he was blocking Ryoutaro's view. The selfish, green-eyed monster part of him wanted to laugh and block the view some more and say, "not this time." But the better, friendlier part moved over and acknowledged the fact that they were closer friends than he was with Hino. Well, at least for now.

"You should tell that to yourself," Len bit back. Hihara doesn't know for sure if it's just his imagination working or Len was moodier than usual today. His eyebrows furrowed and he was wearing an unpleasant scowl on his face. Not only that, he's been sending everyone glares since about two minutes ago.

But that won't ruin Hihara's day. Because today, the sun is shining high in the sky and no one can reach up and take it away from him.

~.~

"So, where do you want to go first?" Hihara asked Hino as they exit the main building and enter a wide clearing with lots of tents, food stands, and people. There were people selling music instruments ranging from string to wind. Others were selling CDs and music sheets. There were also musicians holding meet and greets or tutoring lessons. Some were prepping for a performance. At the very center was a large stage. The background says, "Welcome to the annual Music Festival!" The chairs have already been prepared so are the music sheets stands and the piano was being carried up by five or so men (with beefy bodies). Hihara catches a sign that says, "Fireworks 7PM". He makes a mental note to take Hino here later.

"Why don't we get something to eat? I haven't eaten anything yet and I'm starving!" Hino replies with enthusiasm. Hihara smiles.

"Sure," he says, "this way," he grabs her left hand and they take off and get lost in the mass of people.

They first purchase some snacks and Hihara dragged them to another place. It was quieter here, with only a number of people passing by. The noise of the festival was behind them and Hihara could only hear the fast _thump-thump _of his heart.

It was as if the place didn't exist. The grass was green and seemed to shimmer under the harsh light of the sun. At the center was a white marble fountain. The statue was of Aquarius, holding her jar with a magnificent pose. Water flowed from her jar.

"Wow," Hino breaths as she registers everything she's seeing. _Wow as well_, Hihara thought. "How did you know this place? Have you been here before?"

"No," Hihara replied, "it's just…felt right to go here." And it does feel right. Hihara has never been to this place before but a certain force pulled him and led him here. It was unexplainable but it felt right. Somewhere in his heart, he knows he's supposed to be here. With her.

He lets go of her hand, aware of the heat and electricity running in his body from the 'holding hands' thing. They stare at the statue some more and sit on the grass and eat their snacks.

An hour later, they decided they should leave and explore some more.

They went to the chorale competition first. It was the Children's division so the hall was filled with lots of proud parents and relatives and little boys and girls with white wings. They bought their tickets and entered the theater. The show starts after ten minutes and ends at around 4 in the afternoon which leaves them a few more hours to spare.

The lights go off and the show begins.

Hihara doesn't pay too much attention on the competition. He was too preoccupied with the person beside him. Sitting there, calm and smiling was Hino. She applauded after the first round and Hihara smiled at her. Once she glanced at him and he looked away blushing. The second time she asked if there was dirt on her face. Hihara was about to say "No, you're absolutely perfect." But he catches himself before he spills out anything he might eventually regret.

He was nervous, that was for sure. As the clock nears seven, he grows more and more anxious. _It's just a fireworks show_, he would tell himself but he knows it's more than just that. He wanted her to see how he felt about her, without spelling it out.

She was an explosion of fireworks. Her personality can never be painted with just one color, can never be described with just one shape, and can never be defined by one simple design because even with her simple appearance, she was really a complicated and beautiful person. She possesses a thousand and one traits that explode into brilliantly colored lights across the sky.

His feelings were an explosion of fireworks. He doesn't know how to stop it as one firecracker goes up the sky, explodes and another does the same. Most of the time, he just watches. Most of the time, he just waits for it to stop. But it doesn't. And he never truly noticed how beautiful they were. So many emotions, so many colors, so many patterns. It's hard to describe in words. Everything's there—his confusion, guilt, anger, doubt, amazement, fear, everything. Every single feeling he's felt ever since Hino Kahoko stepped into his life. Then a blazing red lights up the sky—_his_ sky and it all boils down to love.

Yes, he loves her. And he knows that.

The show finishes and everyone stands up and applauds. The two leave the theater along with the other parents and relatives.

It was 6:30pm, the show extended a few hours which leaves Hihara in a state of calamity. He is in panic. It was just thirty minutes until the fireworks show and he hasn't even told Hino.

There's nothing to be nervous about, he told himself over and over again. But still, here he was, face contorted with worry like he'd eaten a sour fruit.

He has never dated a girl before, no scratch that. He has never been with a girl _this long_ before. Especially with the who-you-secretly-like-but-you-can't-admit-your-feelings-to-because-you're-such-a-chicken-so-you-take-her-to-a-fireworks-show-instead kind of girl. He doesn't know what to expect or what to do or if he should even expect anything. Wait, what was he expecting anyway? A kiss?

_Not bad_, he thought but mentally punched himself.

The seconds tick by and Hihara's hands were sweating. They were going back to the festival. The sky was dark already. The sun was no more.

"Hiya, there! Are you two dating? Aww, so romantic!" a lady wearing a red dress and flowers in her hair jumped in front of them and they both stared at each other.

"Ah, no—"

"Why don't you buy her some flowers, dear one? I'm sure she'd _love_ a rose! After all, Valentine's is just around the corner!"

"You've got the wrong idea—"

"It's also at a cheap price! So, what are you waiting for?!"

_She's not listening_, Hihara thought, his face flushed red with embarrassment. So is Hino's.

"I'll take one," He say finally just to get rid of her.

"Good choice!" she tells him and hands him a rose. It was a long-stemmed rose with a heart-shaped card and a ribbon. On the card was, "To the most special person in the world." It felt awkward having to give it to her. But it's here now and he can just hope she'd see it as something he did to get them off the hook.

"There's a fireworks show five minutes from now. Make sure you watch with your girlfriend, dear. It's going to be _sooo~_ romantic!" she giggles then twirls away.

"Uh," he was at a loss for words.

"That was awkward," she replies. Yes. Very awkward. He wanted to tell her.

"Yeah," he says, holding out the rose, "I know it's too early for Valentine's but…"

Hino smiles at him, although a faint blush was on her cheeks. "Thank you so much." She takes the rose.

He rubs his head, face glowing, and says, "Nah."

And the sky lights up in a thousand different colors.

Green, blue, pink, purple, orange, yellow exploding into the sky and illuminating everyone's awed faces.

"I'm glad we went here."

"I'm glad too."

And Hihara couldn't help thinking how ridiculous he was for being nervous earlier. He was with Hino, after all. With Hino, everything's going to be fine. With Hino, it's okay to be random and be yourself. With Hino, you don't expect anything. Things just go the way they are supposed to be. And you just go with the flow.

The sky turns bright red as another row of fireworks are set off.

He catches a glimpse of Hino, watching the multi-colored sky with a smile. She held the rose close to her heart where Hihara wanted to be—yes, he realized he didn't need anything else. He just wanted to be close to her heart.

"Are you happy?" he asks her.

"More than happy." She answers.

And it occurred to him how selfish he was for wanting to keep her as a friend and still wanting more. She was _here_, beside him, smiling at him. It should be more than enough for him. It _is _more than enough.

As long as she's happy, he's happy.

And it's more than enough.

It was like the quote he remembered from the newspaper (or was it the school paper?) Kanazawa used to hit him yesterday:

_**10 Signs of Being in Love  
**__by Nami Amou_

_4. When you care about that person's happiness more than yours._

And he did care. More than his own happiness. More than anyone else's.

_It's nice watching fireworks once in a while_, Hihara thought.


End file.
